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I recently passed my driving test and have bought my first car – hooray!!! It did take me a couple of attempts to pass but it was mainly down to anxiety and not knowing what to expect – so I have given you my top tips to make sure you are feeling well prepared and ready to get on the road!

Make sure you are ready…

I’m 27 so I definitely left it a while to learn to drive but I certainly chose the right time for me. Everyone is different and you may not necessarily feel ready to get behind the wheel at 17 – that’s fine! Everyone learns in their own ways and at their own times so do not feel pressured into driving if you do not yet feel confident and comfortable to do so.

Learn Your Manouveres…

During your test you will be required to complete a couple of manouveres. These include reverse round a corner, turn in the road, parallel parking and bay parking. All of these need practice both with your instructor and privately but you’ll soon get them!

Revise Your Theory…

I passed my theory approximately a year before passing my practical but this meant that I could continue to use my theory more and more whilst I was out on the road. It’s great to keep up on everything that you have learnt in your theory, especially in regard to road markings, signs and the various hazards. Now that I’m driving everyday I’m certainly improving on my hazard perception and learning new things every time I am out on the road!

Keep Practicing…

I often had long gaps between my lessons but it is so much better to be driving on a regular basis when you are learning. This keeps things fresh in your mind in terms of what you are learning and ultimately aids you to becoming a better and safer driver. By building up confidence through regular lessons and practice in a parent/guardians car you are able to cover a full range of skills used in daily driving.

Revise the Show and Tell Questions…

These are so important and you will be asked two totally random questions. Make sure you know all the various buttons and where everything is located under the bonnet. Usually you will receive a book when you start learning to keep track of your lessons, and if you go with a company like the AA they will provide you with a book that contains these questions – make sure you take a read over them and jot down any notes to help you remember as these are great for revising on just before you take your test.

Keep Calm and Positive…

One of the main things that affected me in my driving test was panic and anxiety. This was particularly when I stalled and this was the reason I failed my first test. I made a common mistake of trying to set off in 3rd gear and thought it was in 1st! This panic and frustration is what caused me to fail. If you get in this situation, stop – making sure the car is secure, and think through your steps that you have been taught. Even now I still stall occasionally as I get used to driving regularly but it does start to get more natural! Remember – everyone was a learner once! If you’re like me and have learnt in London, you may well be used to those who are a little more impatient. The trick is not to panic and not to let them fluster you – in the end they are just making it more dangerous for themselves through rushing. Keep calm and have a positive mindset throughout!

Didn’t pass this time – Don’t worry!

It took me a couple of attempts to pass but in turn this has made me a safer driver. I now feel much more confident when I’m out on the road and those extra few practices were worth everything to be able to drive now.

Your Driving Test is just the start!

It’s a daunting experience driving out and about on your own for the first time. I remember being so nervous and excited to get behind the wheel. You’re bound to face lots of challenges. With my new job I have to travel a lot and rely on maps and sat nav – I have lots of stories of ending up in residential car parks and down one way roads but all is excellent practice to make you a better driver.

As part of my ‘New Year, New You’ series this month I’m asking bloggers to share their plans, tips and resolutions for 2016!

So we’re approaching the end of January, and it’s gone so fast! With that, how are you getting on with your resolutions? I’m keeping on top of mine quite well, although healthy eating went out the window one morning when I decided to indulge in a packet of Mini Eggs for breakfast with the only valid reasoning of their limited supply on the supermarket shelves…

Today Pouria is sharing his resolutions with us which I hope will provide some more inspiration on how to be more aware of our mind and social awareness in 2016! Let me know about your inspiration in the comments!

Spending less time on social media and more on myself

I spend most of my day browsing Facebook status updates, posts, tweets and images. I follow friends, celebrities, influencers and every now and again random people on social media. I research them every day; I know them better than I know myself. That is not ok!

Fear of judgment and stigma prevented me from expressing myself and reaching out

I had a lot of ups and downs this year: personal, family and work. One pattern became obvious to me: I was scared of people judging me so I kept everything to myself. I never express things fully to my parents for obvious reasons! and I didn’t feel that close to my friends to share what was bothering me because they had judged me in the past. I opened up to my girl friend once and later on she used it against me! don’t see myself doing that again.

In 2016, I would like to get closer to my friends and to also make new friends. I also like to share without the fear, even if they end up judging me.

I now use Paralign to journal my thoughts, express myself, feel supported and support others.

I will meditate more

2015 I was pretty mindful but I could definitely be more. There were times where what happened on the outside, influenced my inner peace and clarity. I often dwelled on the past and things that were outside of my control made me anxious and sad. in 2016, I would like to learn more from this and let it happen less and less. in 2016, I will spend more time on my inner peace and harmony. I will try to listen more to my body and I will try to practice how to be more present. I will set aside 30 minute meditation time before going to bed and after waking up. Before going to bed to observe my day and assess what I learned. After waking up so I can start my day with a clear mind.

I tend to think just focusing on the breath can give us so much power; It is a simple phenomena yet it is so significant.

I will give back more

In 2015 I did a few volunteer work, donated money here and there and stood up for different causes. But I think I did that to mostly show off. I wasn’t authentic and I didn’t try hard to change some else’s life for the better.

In 2016, I would really like to dedicate good amount of my time to help others. Help high school students wanting to go to college. Helping lower income families make better decisions and helping unprivileged people live happier.

Pouria has spent 8 years in health care, starting his career at UCSF and VA medical center helping advance predictions of Alzheimer’s, parkinson and epilepsy diseases through MRI and imaging technologies. He built Paralign (http://paralign.me) based on his own journey and how he started to improve his life one thought at a time. He usually writes about powers of the mind and holistic approaches towards health.

So I’ve managed to miss a few days as I have been manically revising for my driving theory test but I’m back on it now!

I absolutely love to be creative. I love to write, to draw, to paint, to design new garments, to visit new events to get ideas for stand layouts – all sorts of things! This creativity certainly feeds my brain. Whilst I was off work with my poorly foot I spent most of my time colouring an epic paint by numbers – believe me, they’re not just for children. I was mixing paint to get precise colours and almost using a magnifying glass to paint the tiniest of spots! I haven’t quite finished the painting yet but will definitely share it all with you when I’m done! I’ve also recently bought some adult colouring books including a Tropical World book by Millie Marotta.They’re meant to help relax and de-stress so I’m looking forward to taking some time out of my busy lifestyle to start colouring!

Have you used any adult colouring books? What did you think of them? Are there any you can recommend?